what is the proper protocol


should a parcel get lost and buyer wants his money back.. should seller pay him immediately or wait until seller gets money from the shipping company ?
what has been your experience in this situation?
thanks
umaasa
With out a doubt, I would wait to be reimbursed from the shipping company. This is only fair. Otherwise the package could be found and delivered.
The rembursement process by the shipper can be as long as 3 months. The buyer should not have to wait this long to get a refund. I would recommend that you refund the buyers money within 10 days. Hopefully the shipping company has already admited that they have lost the package.
Never experienced that on either side of the transaction (knock wood!!). The first criteria would be that I'd want acknowledgement from the shipper that they considered the parcel lost. Then I'd expect that there would be a record of communication between seller and buyer stating that seller was refunding the buyer's money with the understanding that the buyer would not be receiving the parcel.

If the parcel was lost for good, then seller would work to be reimbursed by the shipping company. If the parcel was found, I'd want it returned to the seller if possible. If it arrived at buyer, I'd expect the buyer to either ship it back to seller, possibly at seller's expense, or to re-send the original payment and keep the unit.

I think I'd be satisfied as either the seller or buyer in the above. Obviously, I wouldn't want to have this happen as a buyer or a seller. Good communication and understanding, as always, are key. Everyone needs to remember that used gear, in the long run, saves them a lot of money, so a few extra dollars in shipping costs are a small price to pay.

I think the only thing that would mess with the above is if the amount in question was quite large. Still, I think the above puts more of the responsibility on the seller and, as a seller, its responsibility I accept.
I will definitely wait because there is a good chance even after 60 days that the parcel can be delivered to the buyer.. especially if you use united states postal service. I paid a buyer (international) a good sum of money for a parcel that was supposedly lost, later on delivered to him.. and my claim was denied and I lost the money... buyer disappeared with my eletronic plus money..
just a bad experience for me that i want to share to cover yourself..most especially overseas..if Local or usa, will more likely much easier to pay ..
I agree with Etbaby. The seller is responsible to reimburse the buyer regardless. It's a bummer for the seller, but that's business. And it is fair. 10 day wait is more than fair....warren